Evaluate your search results critically

5. Too few results

If your search gives you too few results, broaden your search strategy.

Try the following:

• Use simple search instead of advanced search.
• Check the spelling of your search terms. Remember that British and American spelling may differ, for example, organisation and organization.
• Use synonyms and connect them with the OR operator, for example, university students OR higher education students.
• Use more general search terms.
• Review your keywords and try to find additional search terms from the database thesaurus or subject heading list.
• Use the database’s own tools for expanding the search, such as Expand my results, Related documents, or Find similar results.

You can also use the snowballing method. This means using one relevant book or article as a starting point for finding more sources. For example:

• Look at the reference list at the end of a relevant book or article. Which authors, works, or concepts appear repeatedly?
• Use citation databases, such as Web of Science or Scopus, to find newer articles that have cited a relevant article.
• Look at the keywords or subject terms used to describe a relevant article or book, and use those terms in your own search.

Wildcard and truncation symbols can also help you broaden your search. Different databases may use them differently, so always check the search help of the database you are using.

Common examples include:

• * is often used for truncation and replaces word endings. For example, computer* finds computer, computers, computerized, computerization, and other related forms.
• # can replace one or no letters. For example, colo#r finds both color and colour.
• ? usually replaces one letter. For example, globali?ation finds both globalisation and globalization.